Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-07-21
AN INTERESTING Eo.F,ce.

4 PAnaAslpAis Church ro..ssa - -
Immortal 0.se.v.s AaelsA,A
Nswin surprise many, l think. "a
learn that King Gwtavus Adolphus OF
Sweden founded a church in America.
1t was just before ks set out on the
fatal campaign which ended at Lutsen.
He chartered an American trading
] company and to its officers gave money
and books with which he charged them
to establish in their colony . church
upon the Swedish faith. This they
did. and Gustsvus' successor. King
Charles XI. subsequently, sent over
books and communion service. The
latter is preserved to this day. Christ
Church in this city has q pulpit Bible,
which it still uses. that was given it by
Queen Anne of England.
The Swedish Church was almost
identical with the Church of England
in form of public worship. but in belief
it was strictly Lutheran. 1t was the
middle of the Seventeenth century
before the wishes of Gustavus Adolphus
were carried out. The Swedes were
then sole masters of Pennsylvania
William Penn came some twenty
years later. and determined the present
site Of Philadelphia site which the
Swedes were trying to establish in a
swamp. OF course they failed, while
the shrewd Quaker succeeded. Phila-
delphia was, by the end of the Seven.
teenth century. a struggling village
along the Delaware river front. The
old church of the Swedes was becon-
ing delapidated. because It had been
poorly built. and question arose over
the site of new one As has 90 often
been the case In later times, there
grew out of it bitter war of words.
Finally it was agreed to settle the
matter by lot. The names of the two
most favored sites were put in hat.
The present site was drawn, and on il
to-day stands the famous old edifice
which is cherished relic of Philadel.
phia, SO dear in fact that the city
would as soon think of parting with it.
charter as allowing any harm to come
to grand old Gloria Del.
For many years the Kings of Sweden
were accustomed to send over rectOrs
and to contribute money toward their
support. Four of these faithful re-
ligious pioneers are inferred beneath
the altar. A fifth lies in the yard.
The structure is small and stands sew.
eral rods from the street, the entrance
being down a shaded path among the
tombs, that reminds one forcibly of the
uncovered approach to Holy Trinity,
at Stratford-spon-Avon. There Is win
dow abo~e the altar that was sent over
from Sweden. There Is NO chancel,
but only railing and rostrum that ex.
tend out into the body Of the room.
The parish was formerly possessed Of
twenty acres of land now covered by
the city, but through the csrelessness
Of some one it lost the title to it and
is now quite poor, where it might have
been one of the wealthiest In the coun-
try. The Swedes took little part in
public affairs, and upon William PENIS
last visit to America they accused the
pious old Quaker of stealing their land.
They did not make the accusation
stick, however, and were out Of their
land just the same An effort has
been making with some success for
nhe past dozen years to endow tho
parish. The neighborhood in which it
stands has become about the lowest
in the city and the congregation is By
no means self-supporting. The Swedes
years ago lost their standing in num-
Der in this part Of the country, the
service was changed into English. and
the church itself entered the Episcopal
communion. A visit to it is like going |
back into two centuries of the past
Philadelphia Coz. San francisco Chro's- !